Kemp, Dodgers top playoff-bound Diamondbacks

Phoenix, AZ – Matt Kemp became the first Dodger in 70 years run homer in the caliber season and Los Angeles' 7-5 victory over the NL West champion Arizona Diamondbacks.

While Kemp had a banner season individually with 39 home runs and 126 RBI, the Diamondbacks owned their division and will open the postseason in Milwaukee on Saturday. They had a chance to earn the No. 2 seed, but the Brewers won their regular season finale to secure home-field advantage in the National League Division Series.

"Both teams are very similar. It's eery how close we stack up against them," Diamondbacks pitcher and Game 1 starter Ian Kennedy said of the Brewers. "It's going to be a fun series."

Ted Lilly (12-14) allowed just three hits and one walk in seven scoreless innings for the Dodgers, who finished with an 82-79 record in Don Mattingly's first season as manager.

"Going forward it certainly looks like we have a lot of good things going for us," Lilly said.

Joe Saunders (12-13) was touched for five runs on nine hits for Arizona, which went 94-68 to win the West by eight games over the second-place Giants.

The D-Backs overcame a five-run deficit in the 10th inning on Tuesday when Ryan Roberts's grand slam punctuated a remarkable comeback.

They trailed 7-0 in the ninth on Wednesday and inched closer thanks to another grand slam, this one coming off the bat of Cole Gillespie. Ramon Troncoso was pulled after yielding another homer to Henry Blanco, and Kenley Jansen retired the final two hitters to notch his fifth save.

The Dodgers went ahead on Juan Rivera's sacrifice fly in the first inning, and Justin Sellers doubled in a run in the third.

Jamey Carroll tripled home Jerry Sands in the fourth and scored on Lilly's single for a 4-0 cushion.

James Loney took Saunders deep in the sixth, and Kemp's two-run blast an inning later came off Wade Miley.

Kemp had a chance at a rare 40-home run, 40-stolen base season, but struck out in the ninth. He also just missed out on the Triple Crown, as his .324 batting average was third behind Ryan Braun (.332) and Jose Reyes (.337).

Game Notes

Kemp ended the season on a 12-game hitting streak...The last Dodger to lead the NL in homers and RBI was Dolph Camilli in 1941...Arizona won the season series, 10-8...Due to a rainout against the Nationals earlier this year, the Dodgers did not play a full 162-game schedule for the first time in a non strike-shortened season since playing 160 in 1989.